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specific make/model recommendations for AC components

Something nobody has talked about yet is the heater (assuming you have the heater core hooked up). It's common for the blend door to fail closing completely - most commonly the little plastic clip that ties the cable to the door. This is another reason why vent temp alone is not enough information.
 
Blue85 said:
Temperature is pressure, so you need to set the pressure high enough that ice doesn't form on the evaporator. Yours is showing 20F, which is below freezing. That's also why it isn't cycling - it just can't draw the pressure down that low.

350psi is too high. Rule of thumb is that high pressure is from a restriction, overcharge or poor air flow. You haven't talked about fans. Have you cleaned the coils? I've seen evaps black with dirt where fan on high barely moves any air. You can get a peek by removing the blower resistor. Remember there is no cabin filter, so the evap and heater core ARE the filters.
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I think this thread has evolved into 2 issues now: before charging with a can in hot water and after charging with a can in hot water.

Before, the system wasn't sucking in freon. I still don't understand why it didn't

After, it looks like there's a restriction
 
clutch2k3 said:
Blower fan is working, no electric fan on condenser, using water on condenser to cool it while idling

BTW All of this was posted earlier in the thread
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Yeah, but you still haven't talked about the radiator fan/clutch/shroud situation and how airflow can't bypass the condenser. Obviously, the system has to work without the garden hose. You say the condenser is new, but how big is it, etc?
 
clutch2k3 said:
New condenser, hoses, orifice, and accumulator and oiled.

Flushed and blew out evap til nothing but clear liquid/air came out, no metal.

Blower fan is working, no electric fan on condenser, using water on condenser to cool it while idling

Before last night had 30oz r134a in it

BTW All of this was posted earlier in the thread
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So, it's still not making cold air?
 
Blue85 said:
Something nobody has talked about yet is the heater (assuming you have the heater core hooked up). It's common for the blend door to fail closing completely - most commonly the little plastic clip that ties the cable to the door. This is another reason why vent temp alone is not enough information.
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heater hose has a valve that I completly shut off. When I overhauled the interior/dash/steering column, I spent a lot of time making sure the blend door and max ac door were functioning correctly. I had to fix the blend door and replace vacuum hoses and vac can. I did get the ac to blow 10 degrees colder (before can-in-hot-water) so i dont think the doors are the culprit. however I haven't put my eyeballs on the evap so maybe its dirty & clogged? I'm googling how to to physically look at the evap (not sure if thats posible w/o tearing apart the dash and stuff).

Blue85 said:
Yeah, but you still haven't talked about the radiator fan/clutch/shroud situation and how airflow can't bypass the condenser. Obviously, the system has to work without the garden hose. You say the condenser is new, but how big is it, etc?
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I replaced the fan clutch at the same time as the AC stuff (the old one was oozing clutch juice). Here's the new fan clutch thats in there now: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C3F3AC

AFAIK the shroud and 5-blade fan are fine as the truck doesn't overheat and operates cooler after the new fan clutch. I only used the garden hose b/c I'm charging it in my garage in 95 degree FL heat which causes the the garage to over 100. AFAIK putting water on the condenser eliminates fan-clutch/air-flow issues. AFAIK its normal to put water on the condenser in these conditions. When the truck is outside and moving it cools just fine.

Here's the new condenser thats in there: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003R377NU
 
Updates!!

Firstly: AC newbs DO NOT put freon in hot water!! Put it in luke warm water.
Secondly: Thanks SOOO much for the responses. This is the best automotive AC crash course I could have ever hoped for. I love this forum. Just bought some merch and with any luck it arrives before July 3rd.

The high side restriction passed overnight and the can-in-hot-water trick helped!!

New readings:
52° at idle with all vents open. 10 degrees cooler!
25/175 PSI on low/high side, max AC, windows and doors shut. 5/20 PSI higher!!

And the compressor stopped clacking! Running like sewing machine!

I think I borked up and used waaaaay too hot water for the can bath. I need to stick with luke warm water and never use hot water again.

The temps of the evap side of the orifice and accumulator are in line (its really hard to get a consitent reading in a hot engine bay on just a .5" line).

I'm going to buy another can of r134a, put it in luke warm water and keep charging it.

more updates to follow

psi-max-85ambient_2024-06-18_1100.jpeg

temp-idle-all-vents-84ambient_2024-06-18_1100.jpeg
 
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Lot of things I missed here.

1 you can get a peek at the evap by removing the resistor block, can only see one side.

2 with those pressures at 85° ambient, my gut say over charged.

edit was posting as you were updating.
Those pressures are still to low on low side. does still lend credence to gas amount needed.
I suppose the hot water may have added higher pressure gas to the suction side of the compressor, causing the higher pressures and the noise. The accumulator job is allow any higher pressure gas to expand, before entering the compressor.
 
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Wes Harden said:
with those pressures at 85° ambient, my gut say over charged.
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But its sounding better, getting colder and charts say the pressures should be higher 45/225 (its only at 25/175 PSI)? Apologies for newb question.
 
yes 45/225 would be righ there. I would be happy 38-45 and 200-250. If you get it into that range your good.
 
6872xtc said:
@clutch2k3 I apologize if I ended up causing you more issues and muddling things by suggesting the hot water trick.
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Not at all, it was my desicion to do it. I'm very aware that I can, and do, break stuff trying new things, its just part of the deal. Keep the old timer tricks coming! (no offense if you're not an old timer)
 
Spoke too soon ... the restriction is back. The low side remains at 75 psi and the high side climbs towards 350 (I'm shutting of the AC after 300). And the compressor is clacking again.

Something must be floating around in there, right?
 
clutch2k3 said:
Here's the new condenser thats in there: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003R377NU
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Reviews say this is an exact fit replacement :waytogo: Both pressures too high suggests poor air flow, but it seems you have that covered.

There shouldn't be debris because all used parts were flushed, but the most common place for a restriction is at the orifice tube (it's a restriction by design) and since the low-side port is just ahead of that, a plugged screen/tube would cause both pressures to be high. If the restriction was before the test port, the pressure would go much lower there.

The easier problem to solve would be that you're just overcharged, but those results should be consistent, just varying according to temperature.
 
Blue85 said:
Something nobody has talked about yet is the heater (assuming you have the heater core hooked up). It's common for the blend door to fail closing completely - most commonly the little plastic clip that ties the cable to the door. This is another reason why vent temp alone is not enough information.
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I bought a Chinese made one that was made of aluminum, to replace that plastic piece. It was spendy $17, but, I'll never have to deal with it again.
 
BoondocK5 said:
I bought a Chinese made one that was made of aluminum, to replace that plastic piece. It was spendy $17, but, I'll never have to deal with it again.
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My plastic blend door thing was broken as well and I also replaced it with the aluminum one
 
Blue85 said:
Reviews say this is an exact fit replacement :waytogo: Both pressures too high suggests poor air flow, but it seems you have that covered.

There shouldn't be debris because all used parts were flushed, but the most common place for a restriction is at the orifice tube (it's a restriction by design) and since the low-side port is just ahead of that, a plugged screen/tube would cause both pressures to be high. If the restriction was before the test port, the pressure would go much lower there.

The easier problem to solve would be that you're just overcharged, but those results should be consistent, just varying according to temperature.
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I'm betting when I put that freon can in the hot water last night some gunk was knocked loose from the 35 year old compressor and its clogging the orifice tube. Oil was dripping from my gauge set last night which hasn't happened before and not all of the oil was new, so it must have come from the compressor which is the only component not replaced or flushed. I'm going to move on to replacing the front bushings and wait and see if someone comes up with an idea that doesn't involve cracking open the system again. The front bushings will keep me busy for 2-3 5 days - i had to exchange the bushings b/c they sent the wrong size sleeves :surepal: and my sawzall broke :hack:.
 
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As suspected there was junk on the orifice tube. However the metal bits were aluminum, not steel. this was determined with a magnet.

There's no way aluminum could have come from the freon can and made its way through the gauges, couplers and valves, correct? Compressors are constructed of all steel, correct?

PXL_20240621_030125588.jpg
 
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